Remember Our Fallen Veterans

Memorial Day Services In Central Florida Will Let The Public Recognize Veterans Who Died During America's Wars.

May 26, 2000|By Martin Comas of The Sentinel Staff

Memorial Day, the holiday set aside to recognize Americans who died while serving their country, started as a way to honor military personnel who fell in the Civil War. Now, it also recognizes veterans who died in any war.

Residents traditionally observe Memorial Day on the last Monday in May by placing flowers and flags on the graves of military personnel.

This weekend, Central Florida will honor fallen veterans at several ceremonies:

- American Legion Post 286 of Pine Castle is host for an annual Memorial Day service and barbecue at 529 Fairlane Ave. The event will kick off at 1 p.m. with a brief ceremony. Afterward, there will be a barbecue and entertainment until 5 p.m. Tickets range from $2.50 to $5 and the public can attend. For more information, call 407-859-1460.

- Baldwin-Fairchild Cemeteries and Funeral Homes will have its annual Memorial Day Service at 11 a.m. at Glen Haven Memorial Park, 2300 Temple Drive, Winter Park. There will be a wreath-laying ceremony. Civil War reenactors will place flowers on graves. Also, there will be a tribute to World War I veterans and a flag-raising ceremony to honor World War II veterans. Young cadets will pay tribute to Korean War veterans, commemorating the 50th anniversary. Keynote speaker will be Col. Charley Price, retired U.S. Army. The ceremony will also honor veterans from the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. For more information, call 407-898-8111.

- Ocoee will honor fallen veterans with a Memorial Day service at the gazebo behind the city's municipal complex, 150 N. Lakeshore Drive. The 8 a.m. ceremony will feature guest speaker R. W. ``Doc'' Luce, a retired Navy veteran and president of the Vietnam Veterans of Central Florida. Singer Terry Rosenberg will perform. There will also be a wreath-laying ceremony. For more information, call 407-656-2322.

- The city of Winter Garden is host for a Memorial Day service at 8:30 a.m. at Veteran's Park, 420 S. Park Ave. at Story Road. The ceremony will feature a roll call and placement of wreaths for veterans of World Wars I and II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. There will be a cannon salute after each name is called. The service will also include a performance of the ``Battle Hymn of the Republic'' and a flyover by an AT6 plane.

- Woodlawn/Carey Hand Funeral Homes' 50th annual Memorial Day Service is at 9:30 a.m. at its Memorial Park, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road. The service will include a performance by the Winter Park Community VFW Band, along with a wreath-laying ceremony and a parade of colors. For details, call 407-293-1361.

Because of the Monday holiday, schools, banks, libraries, courts, city halls, government offices and county health departments will be closed.

Post offices also will be closed, and there will be no mail delivery. However, the main post office at 10401 Post Office Blvd., off Tradeport Drive near Orlando International Airport, will be open from 6 a.m. until midnight.

Garbage and recycling pickups will go on as usual in Orlando and most cities, but offices will be closed.